ENG vs SA T20Is | Twitter in awe as Phil Salt’s superlative knock powers England to huge win in Manchester

‌Phil Salt’s swashbuckling century powered England to a 146-run win over South Africa to level the three-match T20I series 1-1 at Old Trafford in Manchester on Saturday. The opener smashed the fastest ton by an England batter en route to making the highest individual score for the hosts, while Jos Buttler also shone with a quickfire half-century as England reached 304/2 after being put in to bat first. In return, the Proteas could manage only 158, giving the home side their biggest win, in terms of runs, in this format.

Salt and Buttler sent the visitors’ bowlers on a leather hunt as the pair added 126 runs for the opening wicket in just 7.5 overs. The Royal Challengers Bengaluru player started off in style with three fours and a six in the first over off Marco Jansen. Buttler was also not to be left behind as he smashed five fours and two sixes to plunder 20 runs each in two overs from Bjorn Fortuin and Kagiso Rabada. The former England white-ball captain reached his half-century in just 18 balls as the side reached 100/0 at the end of the powerplay. Though Buttler departed in the eighth over, after smashing seven sixes and eight fours during his 30-ball 83, Salt continued the hosts’ charge. The Manchester Originals captain went past his fifty in 19 balls with another big over, which included two sixes and two fours, from pacer Lizaad Williams. Salt continued to be aggressive as he went past the three-figure mark in just 39 balls and remained unbeaten on 141 from 60 balls. His exploits, which included 15 fours and eight sixes, also ensured that England went past the 300-run mark to record their highest total in T20Is. The bowlers were thrashed to all corners of the park, with Kagiso Rabada (0/70) earning the dubious distinction of bowling the most expensive spell for South Africa. It was also the first instance in a T20I where three bowlers conceded sixty or more runs in the same innings of a match. Williams conceded 62 runs in three overs while Jansen went for 60 in his four overs. Left-arm spinner Fortuin was the only bowler to pick up a wicket for the visitors, ending with figures of 2/52.

The Proteas crumbled under the scoreboard pressure as they were bowled out in the 17th over of the chase. Captain and opener Aiden Markram was their top scorer with 41 off 20, while fellow opener Ryan Rickelton, Donovan Ferreira, and Fortuin could not extend their enterprising cameos into match-winning contributions. Jofra Archer was the pick among the home side’s bowlers with an impressive spell of 3/25, which included the scalps of Rickelton, Lhuan-dre Pretorius, and Jansen. Meanwhile, left-arm seamer Sam Curran and the spin duo Liam Dawson and Will Jacks picked up two wickets each.

 What a match!

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